ADR-0001: Record Architecture Decisions

Status

Accepted

Context

We need to record the architectural decisions made on this project.

Architecture decisions are significant design choices that address quality attributes like performance, scalability, maintainability, and security. These decisions impact how we organize our code, coordinate between components, and structure our solution.

Lacking architectural decision records leads to:

• Loss of context around why certain approaches were chosen
• Difficulty onboarding new team members
• Risk of repeating previously discovered issues
• Inconsistent implementation patterns

Decision

We will use Architecture Decision Records (ADRs) to document significant architectural decisions in the project.

To facilitate the creation and management of ADRs, we will use the command-line tool adr-tools (https://github.com/npryce/adr-tools). This tool helps with:

• Initializing the ADR directory (e.g., adr init docs/architecture/decisions).
• Creating new ADRs with sequential numbering and a template (e.g., adr new "Decision Title").
• Managing the status of ADRs, including superseding previous decisions (e.g., adr new -s N "New Decision").

Each ADR will include:

1. A title that includes a sequential number (managed by adr-tools).
2. A clear status (Proposed, Accepted, Rejected, Deprecated, Superseded - managed by adr-tools).
3. The context behind the decision.
4. The decision itself with rationale.
5. Consequences of applying the decision.
6. References to related documents.

We will store ADRs in Markdown format in the docs/architecture/decisions directory with filenames using the format NNNN-title-with-hyphens.md where NNNN is a sequential number with leading zeros (managed by adr-tools).

Consequences

Positive

• New team members can quickly understand historical context
• We have a record of why important decisions were made
• We can track when decisions are superseded or deprecated
• Documentation is stored with code in version control
• Standardized management of ADRs (creation, numbering, linking, status updates) through the use of adr-tools.

Negative

• Requires discipline to maintain the records
• Some effort required to create and update ADRs
• Could become outdated if not properly maintained

References

• Documenting Architecture Decisions by Michael Nygard
• Architecture Decision Records in the Wilde
• adr-tools GitHub Repository